Nier: Piano Concert is a magical start to a year of big gaming concerts in Canada

Square Enix’s Nier series has some of the best music in all of gaming.

Composed by Keiichi Okabe, Keigo Hoashi and co., the sci-fi action-RPG’s scores are a masterful mix of haunting vocals, melancholy and pulse-pounding intensity. In 2024, I was fortunate to travel to Boston with my good friend (and occasional MobileSyrup contributor) Andrew Mohan to attend the Nier orchestra, and it was truly one of the best shows I’ve ever seen.

Over the past weekend, I got to have a similar emotional experience with a live performance of Nier music, but in a completely different way. Enter Nier: Piano Concert – Journeys 12025, a new show from Square Enix, Overlook Events and Toronto’s own Kashamara Productions that’s currently touring Canada following stops in Europe and the UK. What made this latest show at Toronto’s Meridian Arts Centre stand out is that unlike the grand orchestra, which also included performances by original Nier singers Emi Evans and J’Nique Nicole, the Nier: Piano Concert features just one person: pianist and composer Benyamin Nuss. What’s more, there is no HD screen featuring imagery from the games like you’d find at many other gaming concerts; it’s just Nuss and the piano.

Honestly, it makes for a uniquely intimate experience, allowing you to focus solely on the evocativeness of the music. For me, it was a reminder of some of my favourite moments from my first playthrough of Nier Automata, like exploring the eerily dilapidated metropolis (during the first month of COVID, no less) to the somber tune of “City Ruins – Ray of Light,” or hearing Nicole’s unbelievably powerful ballad, “Weight of the World,” during the finale. Even others I met at the show who haven’t played Nier said they were moved by the experience. All the while, Nuss — who has toured the world for various performances, including several for other Square Enix titles like Final Fantasy — deftly navigates the complex compositions from Nier Automata, Nier Replicant and Nier Reincarnation. 

Altogether, the two-hour show was a wonderful experience, and I’m so glad I attended. The only downside was we were told the merch got stuck in customs, so it never reached the venue in time for the concert. (A bit of a shame since I would have liked to pick up a souvenir, but alas.)

If you’re interested in attending the Nier Piano Concert but missed the Toronto show, there are a few other Canadian stops. Notably, while the Ottawa concert went off without a hitch, the January 9 Montreal show was actually postponed a few days due to an issue with the venue.

Here are the other Canadian stops this week:

But there’s more for Square Enix fans

It’s great enough getting something as magical as the Nier concert so early into the new year. But it gets better — it’s just one of several exciting video game shows over the next several months. We don’t have to wait long for the next one, either, and it’s from another beloved Square Enix series, no less.

On Friday, January 29 and Saturday, January 30, Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy will make its grand return to Toronto’s Meridian Hall. (A one-day Montreal performance will also take place on May 17.) This show, in particular, focuses on music from Final Fantasy XIV and XVI, both composed by the legendary Masayoshi Soken, who will actually be in attendance alongside one of the prominent singers from both games, Amanda Achen. (She will also perform in Montreal.) Songs from various other Final Fantasy games will also be played. Given that FF, like Nier, has some of the greatest music in all of gaming, this definitely isn’t one to miss.

On top of that, a sister show to Distant Worlds, A New World, will come to the following Canadian cities:

And last but not least, there’s Final Symphony, which reimagines Nobuo Uematsu and Masashi Hamauzu’s music from Final Fantasy VI, VII and X. The show is coming to Winnipeg on March 22 and Edmonton on June 5 and 6. For what it’s worth, while I’ve absolutely adored Distant Worlds and A New World shows in the past, I’ve never actually made it to a Final Symphony. But it seems cool!

And more still for fans of other games

Outside of the Square Enix concerts, there’s some other neat video game music shows coming to Canada this year.

First, there’s Video Games in Concert with Eímear Noone, which comes to Calgary on March 28. This actually features music from Final Fantasy and fellow Square Enix series Kingdom Hearts, as well as the likes of The Legend of Zelda, Halo, Mario and Fortnite.

That same week, fans of Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding series can check out Strands of Harmony in Montreal (March 26) and Toronto (March 28). The concert features atmospheric music from Death Stranding and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and includes both composer Ludvig Forsell’s score and vocal songs from the likes of Low Roar and Woodkid. Like the Nier concert, it’s being presented in Canada in partnership with Toronto’s Kashamara Productions.

Later, on June 26, those in Toronto can head to Meridian Hall for Elden Ring Symphonic Adventure. This concert will feature live performances of music from the 2022 Game of the Year winner accompanied by gameplay on a giant HD screen. Elden Ring is known for its intensity, so what better way to experience it than with a huge orchestra and massive display?

And finally, there’s Heroes: A Video Game Symphony, a new show from JMP Entertainment (The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses). This concert will feature music from all kinds of games, including Metal Gear Solid, Halo, Portal, Fallout, Castlevania and Canadian-made series Mass Effect and Dragon Age. A Montreal show takes place on May 20 at 7:30 p.m. at the Place des Arts, while a Toronto show will be held on September 17 at Sobeys Stadium. Silent Hill composer will also be in attendance at the latter concert and take part in paid meet and greets.

Are you planning on checking out any of these concerts? What are your favourite video game soundtracks? Let us know in the comments.

Header image credit: Square Enix/Overlook Events